2015 Free Agent Power Rankings
Most among the top tier of soon-to-be free agents have faltered since we last checked on them in late January, though there have been a few exceptions, most notably at the top, where LeBron James is back to dominance. The general sluggish play through the season’s dog days has resulted in little movement in the latest edition Hoops Rumors Free Agent Power Rankings, but a few names have nonetheless risen and fallen. The trade deadline is weeks in the past and free agency is becoming a greater focus around the league, so here’s how the top of the market stands:
- LeBron James (player option): James is reportedly headed for another two-year max deal with a player option on the second season, giving him the greatest possible income and leverage once more. There have been hints that it’s not a 100% certainty he’ll sign that deal with the Cavs, but it’s still probably a 99.9% chance. Last ranking: No. 1
- Kevin Love (player option): Love is also likely to remain with Cleveland and has said he plans to opt in. The Celtics are nonetheless seemingly making it their top priority to test his resolve about that. Love’s numbers continue to drop, as he averaged only 15.9 points and 9.7 rebounds in February, but the Cavs are winning and he’s still only 26. Last ranking: No. 2
- Marc Gasol: He’s notched just 16.0 PPG since a 20.2 PPG December, but Big Spain’s greatest contributions have long been on the defensive end, and he remains the fulcrum of a Grizzlies team that’s second in the Western Conference. Were he not already 30 years old he’d probably be a rung higher than Love. Last ranking: No. 3
- LaMarcus Aldridge: Executives surely admire Aldridge’s willingness to play through a torn thumb ligament, assuming they don’t fear that there will be long-term damage. Speaking of fear, the Blazers are reportedly “very, very scared” he’ll leave, but despite his willingness to play along with New York media asking him about the Knicks at the All-Star Game, Aldridge pledged last summer to remain in Portland. Last ranking: No. 5
- Jimmy Butler (restricted): There will be no playing through a left elbow injury that’s liable to cost the emerging star as much as six weeks, but even before that, there were signs the league’s leader in minutes per game was breaking down. He averaged 21.7 PPG before New Year’s Day and 18.3 since, knocking him back a peg in our rankings. Still, it seems likely he’ll still receive that max offer the Bulls have apparently been planning. Last ranking: No. 4
- Greg Monroe: The big man has bucked the trend of marquee soon-to-be free agents tailing off, having averaged 16.6 PPG and 11.9 RPG a game since the Pistons let go of Josh Smith, compared to just 14.7 and 8.8 RPG prior. Agent David Falk downplays the idea that Monroe’s thinking in regard to free agency has changed much during the season, but the big man will “absolutely” consider re-signing with the Pistons, Falk contends, a prospect that’s long seemed remote. Stan Van Gundy hopes it’ll happen, but the Celtics and Sixers appear to be among the teams who’ll try to ensure it doesn’t. Last ranking: No. 7
- Kawhi Leonard (restricted): February was Leonard’s worst month for PPG and RPG as he put up 13.5 PPG and 6.1 RPG, not exactly intriguing numbers, perhaps in part because of a torn ligament in his right hand, and there appears a decent chance it’ll require surgery at season’s end. Meanwhile, the Spurs have languished in seventh place in the Western Conference. Still, San Antonio probably won’t be dissuaded from paying him the max or a comparable salary. Last ranking: No. 6
- Goran Dragic (player option): The past month and change has been a whirlwind for the Third Team All-NBA guard from last season, as he had a contentious parting with the Suns and is reportedly still high on the Lakers even though he’s expressed fondness for his new home in Miami. It looks like Miami is the front-runner to re-sign him on a five-year max offer, but the situation remains fluid. Last ranking: No. 10
- DeAndre Jordan: The Clippers have sorely needed Jordan as a top-flight inside presence since Blake Griffin went out with a staph infection in his elbow a month ago, and he’s responded with a whopping 18.8 RPG in the time that Griffn has missed. Perhaps most importantly for his value, he’s averaged 14.2 PPG, which would be a career-high, on just 7.3 field goal attempts per contest in Griffin’s absence. Last ranking: No. 9
- Rajon Rondo: Perhaps no other marquee free agent’s stock has taken as much of a hit as Rondo’s has in the past month or so as he’s continued to struggle to fit in with the Mavs. Doubt is creeping in about his worthiness as a maximum-salary player, and while he downplayed his public tiff with coach Rick Carlisle and remains open to re-signing in Dallas, the market for him seems tough to predict. Last ranking: No. 7
Al Jefferson continues to top the honorable mentions whom I ran down last time, but Draymond Green‘s rise continues, and he’ll certainly be among the top 20, if not top 15, most sought-after free agents this summer. Check out how the rankings have ebbed and flowed since the beginning of the season right here.
Western Rumors: Rondo, Knight, Neal
Rajon Rondo considers it an “honor and a compliment” that Kobe Bryant is trying to recruit him to the Lakers, but the point guard said Sunday that his focus is on the present day with the Mavericks, notes Baxter Holmes of ESPNLosAngeles.com. Rondo on Sunday didn’t deny interest in playing for the Lakers, Holmes adds in a separate piece, but Bryant downplayed the significance of his conversations with Rondo on Sunday when the Lakers star chatted with Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News. There’s more on the Mavs’ most significant in-season acquisition amid the latest from around the West:
- The Celtics had “serious doubts” about whether Rondo was worth the max before trading him in December, and that was one of the reasons Boston pulled off the swap, sources told Holmes for the second of his two pieces linked above. That echoes a recent dispatch from Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders, who heard that it’s unlikely the Mavs point guard receives a full max deal in free agency this summer.
- Several GMs who spoke with Michael Scotto of SheridanHoops believe Brandon Knight is worth $12MM a year. The Suns traded for Knight, a restricted free agent at season’s end, at last month’s deadline.
- Gary Neal was reportedly angling for a buyout from the Timberwolves last month, but he said this weekend that he’d love to stay with Minnesota, observes Sid Hartman of the Star Tribune. Wolves coach/executive Flip Saunders hinted at interest in a long-term future with the guard whose deal expires this summer, as Hartman also relays. “A lot of people questioned whether we were going to keep him, but I said from the beginning he was a guy that we traded for that we liked,” Saunders said. “We wanted him to come in and we were hoping it could be a long-term-type situation, but we’ll wait and see.”
Knicks Open To Re-Signing Andrea Bargnani
Suddenly resurgent former No. 1 overall pick Andrea Bargnani has Knicks president Phil Jackson interested in re-signing him on a reasonably priced deal this summer, a league source tells Marc Berman of the New York Post. Berman heard from an executive that the Leon Rose client would command at least a one-year deal for the minimum salary, though another exec told Berman that the forward/center would merit no more than that. Bargnani almost certainly won’t end up with a salary anywhere close to his $11.5MM pay for this season, yet the interest from the Knicks is a sharp turnaround from earlier this season, when the club reportedly shopped him on the trade market and mulled buyout talks.
The Knicks have the ability to sign Bargnani to a veteran extension between now and June 30th, the final day before his contract expires, but such extensions are rare and that outcome is probably remote. He’ll nonetheless represent a $17.25MM cap hold on New York’s books should he indeed hit free agency, so the Knicks seem destined to renounce his Bird rights to clear that hold and open cap room to sign other free agents, though that’s just my speculation. The Knicks would have to use cap space, an exception, or the minimum salary to sign Bargnani if they renounce him.
Bargnani appeared a likely buyout candidate as the trade deadline approached, but Jackson publicly cast doubt on that idea, pointing to the 29-year-old’s scoring ability. He’s put up 18.6 points on 13.4 field goal attempts in 31.1 minutes per game in five appearances as a starter over the past 10 days, and he was a 21.4 PPG scorer in 2010/11 for the Raptors.
The native of Italy made it clear last week that he wants to remain an NBA player rather than head back overseas, though he wouldn’t specifically address a long-term future with the Knicks when asked, Berman notes. Rose, his agent, is also the representative for Carmelo Anthony, as Berman points out, though the influence of the Creative Artists Agency on the Knicks hasn’t appeared as widespread as it was before Jackson’s tenure began.
Wizards Interested In Bobby Brown
The Wizards are considering Bobby Brown as they mull options for their lone open roster spot, reports Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter link). They also maintain an interest in Will Bynum, to whom they’ve frequently been linked since last month. Stein first reported shortly before the trade deadline that Washington’s interest in Brown depended on what the team did at the trade deadline. The Wizards brought in Ramon Sessions for Andre Miller the day after Stein’s initial report surfaced, but it appears the team continues to look to upgrade its depth at guard.
Brown is a 6’2″ point guard who’s used the last two seasons in China to raise his profile since his last NBA action in 2009/10. He put up 31.3 points, 6.3 assists and 3.1 turnovers in 40.3 minutes a game for China’s Dongguan Leopards this season after scoring 30.7 PPG for the team last year. The season is over for the Leopards, and while the Aaron Mintz client signed a three-year deal with the club this past summer, the contract does include escape clauses that would allow him to return to the NBA.
The Cavaliers reportedly had interest in Brown as of January, though their roster appears largely set, with the trade deadline in the past and 15 players under contract through at least the end of the season. He was apparently speaking to multiple NBA teams in mid-February, but a deal has yet to emerge.
Bynum came free from his Chinese team a week ago following the club’s playoff elimination. Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal in January identified the Cavs as an interested party for him, too, and Shams Charania of RealGM reported that the Wizards were eyeing him shortly thereafter. J. Michael of CSNWashington pegged Bynum as the team’s primary target aside from Ray Allen, and while Allen has said he won’t play this season and Bynum has picked up an endorsement from John Wall, Michael cast doubt this weekend on Washington’s appeal to Bynum. The Wizards are looking internally for solutions to their recent woes, Michael wrote, noting that Bynum also has a minor hamstring injury. The Wizards, who’ve lost 13 out of 17 and cling to the fifth spot in the Eastern Conference, are limited to giving out no more than the prorated minimum salary.
And-Ones: Johnson, Dragic, Williams, Ewing
The Heat’s Tyler Johnson has been among the most productive players to sign a 10-day contract this season, writes Shandel Richardson of The Sun Sentinel. Johnson had 26-point and 24-point games this week as he has developed into a solid rotation player for Miami. After completing two 10-day deals, Johnson was signed to a two-year, partially guaranteed contract on February 8th. “It’s funny because when people from the outside hear 10-day contract, they almost kind of laugh,” Johnson said. “There’s been quite a few stories of 10-day contracts guys sticking around.”
There’s more from a busy day around the basketball world:
- The traditional numbers don’t do a great job of accurately portraying Goran Dragic’s value, but SportVU data helped to show exactly how much of an impact the Heat guard can have when he has the ball in his hands, as Kevin Pelton of ESPN.com (Insider subscription required) writes. That data, in part, shaped how Dragic was viewed at the deadline.
- Former lottery pick Terrence Williams told David Pick of Eurobasket.com (on Twitter) that he has signed with Vaqueros De Bayamon in Puerto Rico. Williams worked out for the Kings in July and again in late October.
- In a piece for USA Today Sports, Howard Megdal wonders why Hornets assistant Patrick Ewing can’t land an NBA head coaching job. Ewing started coaching as an assistant for the Wizards back in 2002 and at this point, he’s been a coach for nearly as long as he played for the Knicks. Hornets head coach Steve Clifford has his own theory on why Ewing hasn’t landed a head coaching gig, telling Megdal that the big man isn’t enough of a “self promoter.”
- Guard Carlos Arroyo has decided to finish the season in Puerto Rico, a source tells David Pick of Eurobasket.com (via Twitter). Back in September, Arroyo indicated that he wasn’t receiving interest from NBA teams, and it’s not clear if that has changed over the last several months.
Arthur Hill contributed to this post.
Northwest Notes: Hunt, Afflalo, Exum
Rockets forward Corey Brewer spent two seasons in Denver when Nuggets interim coach Melvin Hunt was an assistant and believes he will succeed as a head coach, according to Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. “I’m not saying for sure it’s going to be [with the Nuggets], but I’m certain he’s going to be a good head coach,” Brewer said. “He just has to get a chance. He knows his players. He knows how to coach. And he has a system. It’s a great system, kind of like George (Karl’s) system. You can watch them play fast, get up and down, and guys play hard.“
There’s more from the Northwest Division:
- It’s not always sexy to go with the guy who’s holding down the fort, but that doesn’t mean that Hunt might not be the right guy for the job, Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post writes. Hunt is running a system similar to Karl’s and that’s a game plan that has been proven to work.
- The loss of Wesley Matthews is unfortunate, but fortunately, Blazers GM Neil Olshey traded for shooting guard Arron Afflalo right before last month’s trade deadline, Jesse Blancarte of Basketball Insiders writes. He’ll be counted on to replace much of Matthews’ production, but what isn’t clear is how much he’ll adopt Matthews’ role, or if he’ll continue to play his usual game.
- Jazz rookie Dante Exum said his biggest adjustment to the NBA has been the constant schedule of games and travel, according to Jessica Camerato of Basketball Insiders. The Australian said there were more breaks between games in his homeland. “We had a game Tuesday in Memphis and didn’t arrive at the hotel until 3 a.m. (Wednesday in Boston),” Exum said. ” Just trying to deal with that and having to step back out on the court and play another NBA game, it’s just one of the challenges in the NBA. I learned that I can sleep a lot. Here, that’s the biggest thing. I have to get rest when I can.”
Arthur Hill contributed to this post.
Pacific Notes: Green, Griffin, Lakers, Bryant
The Warriors‘ Draymond Green should be Defensive Player of the Year, argues Ben Dowsett of Basketball Insiders. It’s a somewhat surprising choice, given the widespread opinion that the Clippers’ DeAndre Jordan is the front runner for the award, but Dowsett contends Green’s versatility and performance against the pick-and-roll make him the league’s most valuable defender. If he were to win DPOY, it would strengthen Green’s bargaining position heading into restricted free agency this summer.
There’s more from the Pacific Division:
- Jesse Blancarte of Basketball Insiders wonders if Green is worth a max contract. At 6’7″ and 230 pounds, the Warriors’ standout is a uniquely stocky small forward who can also play power forward effectively and guard every position except for center. However, his per-game stats fall below what you’d expect from a max level player.
- Clippers coach Doc Rivers says there’s still no timetable for Blake Griffin to return from his staph infection, according to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter). The timetable remains the same as it was before for Griffin, Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com adds (on Twitter). The original estimate was 4-6 weeks, and Monday will mark four weeks since his surgery.
- The Lakers will have plenty of options in June’s draft, writes Jabari Davis of Basketball Insiders. Los Angeles, of course, needs to have its pick fall in the top five or it will be transferred to Philadelphia. Assuming the Lakers keep their pick, Davis writes that Duke’s Jahlil Okafor or Kentucky’s Karl-Anthony Towns would form a solid front-line nucleus with injured rookie Julius Randle. If they decide to go for backcourt help, options include Emmanuel Mudiay of the Chinese Basketball Association and Ohio State’s D’Angelo Russell.
- It may not be a coincidence that Kobe Bryant was on the Lakers‘ bench tonight for the first time in many games, tweets Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com. The Lakers are hosting the Mavericks, and Bryant may want a closer look at soon-to-be free agent Rajon Rondo.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Eastern Notes: Jennings, Knicks, Antetokounmpo
Pistons guard Brandon Jennings says he’s three weeks ahead of his recovery schedule and expects to be able to walk without a boot in two weeks, David Mayo of MLive.com tweets. Jennings suffered a torn Achilles tendon in January and will miss the remainder of the season. Jennings is set to earn ~$8.34MM in 2015/16 before hitting the open market. More from the East..
- Knicks coach Derek Fisher says the team is considering filling their open roster spot with unsigned second-round pick Thanasis Antetokounmpo, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes. The shooting guard is playing for the Westchester Knicks of the D-League after declining a deal from an Italian team. Fisher hinted that he’d like to see the roster spot filled, but said that it’s a decision that’s up to front office brass.
- Keith Schlosser of SNY.tv is worried that Knicks president Phil Jackson won’t be able to add talent to his roster this summer. The Knicks have a good deal of flexibility, but top free agents Marc Gasol and Goran Dragic appear to be unlikely options at this point. LaMarcus Aldridge is a possibility, but how likely such a union is remains to be seen.
- Since being traded to the Celtics in February, Isaiah Thomas has averaged 8.7 points scored in the fourth quarter and has taken on the role of a go-to guy, A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com writes.
- Khris Middleton, a pending restricted free agent, is going to see a healthy payday this summer, Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders tweets. The 23-year-old (24 in August) is averaging 12.4 PPG and 4.6 RPG in 28.2 minutes per contest for the Bucks this season.
Warriors Not Interested In JaVale McGee
It remains to be seen where JaVale McGee will land, but it apparently won’t be in Golden State. A Warriors source told Tim Kawakami of The Mercury News (Twitter links) that the team continues to have very little interest in signing the big man. The W’s entertained the thought at one point but have since moved on.
The Warriors told McGee that they’d think about signing him and after some deliberation, they arrived at a point where they had “very limited interest.” McGee, of course, was waived by the 76ers just prior to the deadline for playoff eligibility. McGee, a B.J. Armstrong client, fielded interest from a number of clubs at that point, but wound up on the verge of a deal with the Celtics. That union surprised many and a double swerve was thrown everyone’s way when the prospective deal was called off. The C’s wanted McGee’s 2015/16 season to be a team option while his camp wanted a player option.
Now, McGee remains on the open market with one less suitor now that Golden State is likely to take a pass. Things are also “dead” between the 27-year-old and Boston and will not be revived. Still, the Mavericks, Rockets, Raptors, and Heat are among the playoff-bound/hopeful teams in the hunt to sign him.
The athletic big man appeared in just seven contests for the Sixers after being acquired from Denver, averaging 3.0 points and 2.2 rebounds in 10.2 minutes per contest. In 382 career games McGee has averaged 8.4 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.8 blocks.
Hoops Links: Knicks, Whiteside, Westbrook
On this date in 2008, the Hawks beat the Heat in the first NBA “do-over” game in a quarter-century. Months earlier, Atlanta’s scorer mistakenly fouled out Miami’s Shaquille O’Neal with 51.9 seconds left in overtime and the Hawks up, 114-111. The Heat won their appeal to have the end of the game replayed, but they did so without the services of Shaq since he was traded in the interim to the Suns.
Got a great basketball blog post that you want to see featured on Hoops Rumors? Send it to Zach at HoopsLinks@gmail.com. Here’s this week’s look around the basketball blogosphere…
- Posterized Basketball looked ahead to the Knicks’ offseason.
- Legion Report looked at the remarkable rise of Hassan Whiteside.
- Slam Dunk Zone makes the case for Russell Westbrook winning MVP.
- OT Nation gives us their three most valuable rookies.
- Celtics Blog wonders whether Evan Turner is a fit going forward.
- Sonics Rising spoke with KING5 reporter Chris Daniels.
Please send submissions for Hoops Links to Zach at HoopsLinks@gmail.com.